food.fast Takeaway taste, kitchen prices
What are you spending?

  1. Home
  2. Tools
  3. Unit converter

Convert cups to grams, and every other unit, for any ingredient

Convert between cups, tablespoons, millilitres, grams and ounces - Using the real density of what you are measuring, so a cup of flour and a cup of mayonnaise do not come out the same weight.

-

Why one number for every ingredient is wrong

A cup is a measure of space. A gram is a measure of mass. Converting between them requires knowing how heavy the thing is for its size - Its density - And that varies enormously across a kitchen.

Flour scooped from a bag and levelled sits at about 125 g a cup. Granulated sugar, which packs far more tightly, is 200. Mayonnaise is 224. Grated parmesan, which is mostly air, is 90. If a converter tells you all four weigh 240 g, three of your four conversions are wrong, and in the case of flour the error is nearly double.

That is the difference between a batter and a paste. So this converter asks which ingredient you mean before it will give you a weight, and refuses to guess when it does not know.

The densities this site uses

Every figure below is grams per US cup, measured by scooping and levelling rather than sifting, because that is what a home cook actually does. Where a recipe on this site depends on the distinction, the recipe says which method it assumes.

Grams per US cup (236.6 ml). Used by every recipe on this site when you switch the measurement toggle to metric.
Ingredientg per cupg per tbsp
baking powder 220 13.8
basil 38 2.4
bay 20 1.2
bbq sauce 280 17.5
beans 180 11.2
bicarb 220 13.8
bread flour 130 8.1
breadcrumbs 108 6.8
brown sugar 213 13.3
butter 227 14.2
buttermilk 245 15.3
cabbage shredded 70 4.4
cake flour 114 7.1
caster sugar 200 12.5
cayenne 112 7.0
celery salt 240 15.0
cheese grated 113 7.1
chicken diced 140 8.8
chilli powder 128 8.0
chives 36 2.2
chocolate chips 170 10.6
cinnamon 124 7.8
cocoa 85 5.3
coffee granules 60 3.8
condensed milk 306 19.1
coriander fresh 20 1.2
cornflour 128 8.0
cornmeal 157 9.8
cornstarch 128 8.0
cream 238 14.9
cumin 104 6.5
curry powder 100 6.2
demerara 200 12.5
dill 38 2.4
dried mint 38 2.4
evaporated milk 252 15.8
flour 125 7.8
garlic powder 154 9.6
gelatine 150 9.4
ginger ground 88 5.5
honey 340 21.2
horseradish 230 14.4
hot sauce 240 15.0
icing sugar 120 7.5
jalapeno 170 10.6
jam 320 20.0
ketchup 272 17.0
kosher salt 218 13.6
lard 205 12.8
lettuce shredded 47 2.9
malt powder 130 8.1
matcha 100 6.2
mayonnaise 224 14.0
milk 244 15.2
milk powder 128 8.0
mince 226 14.1
molasses 337 21.1
msg 220 13.8
mustard 249 15.6
mustard powder 100 6.2
nutmeg 112 7.0
nuts chopped 120 7.5
oats 90 5.6
oil 218 13.6
onion diced 160 10.0
onion powder 116 7.2
oregano 48 3.0
panko 60 3.8
paprika 108 6.8
parmesan 90 5.6
parsley 38 2.4
peanut butter 258 16.1
peas 145 9.1
pepper 118 7.4
pickle brine 240 15.0
pickles diced 142 8.9
potato starch 160 10.0
raisins 145 9.1
relish 244 15.2
rice 185 11.6
rice flour 158 9.9
salt 288 18.0
sea salt flakes 130 8.1
semolina 167 10.4
sesame oil 218 13.6
sesame seeds 144 9.0
sour cream 230 14.4
soy sauce 255 15.9
spring onion 100 6.2
stock 240 15.0
sugar 200 12.5
sugar syrup 322 20.1
sweetcorn 165 10.3
syrup 322 20.1
thyme 42 2.6
tomato diced 180 11.2
tomato puree 262 16.4
vinegar 239 14.9
water 236 14.8
white pepper 120 7.5
worcestershire 240 15.0
yeast 150 9.4
yeast extract 280 17.5
yoghurt 245 15.3

How to convert cups to grams with this tool

  1. Pick what you are measuring Choose the ingredient, because a cup of flour and a cup of mayonnaise do not weigh the same. The tool carries measured densities rather than one figure for everything.
  2. Enter the amount and the unit you have Type the quantity and choose cups, tablespoons, teaspoons, millilitres, grams or ounces.
  3. Choose the unit you want The converted amount appears with the density it used, so you can see why the number is what it is.

Questions about converting cups, grams and millilitres

Why is one cup of flour not the same weight as one cup of sugar?
A cup is a measure of space and a gram is a measure of mass, so converting between them needs the density of the specific ingredient. A cup of plain flour is about 125 g, a cup of caster sugar about 200 g and a cup of mayonnaise about 224 g. A converter that uses one figure for everything is only correct for water.
Is a US cup the same as a UK cup?
No. A US cup is 240 ml and a metric cup used in the UK, Australia and New Zealand is 250 ml - about four per cent more. This tool uses the US cup, because that is what the American recipes most copycat cooking starts from are written in.
Why will it not convert cloves, eggs or rashers?
Because those are counts, not amounts. There is no such thing as a metric egg. Units that describe a number of things are left alone rather than turned into a weight that would be wrong for whatever size you happened to buy.